GTA VI Wanted Level, Heat and Carjacking: How Crime Works
Updated September 28, 2026
Crime is the core of Grand Theft Auto, and interviews with Rockstar's Rob Nelson suggest GTA VI reworks a lot of it. The details below come from reports of a Famitsu interview and other previews, so some may change before release.
Wanted stars and heat are separate
Stars do not simply climb automatically. Rockstar decides how many stars an action is worth, and the studio says it is not trying to punish players for playing badly. Heat, the police's memory of you, is tracked separately. You can reportedly cool it down by changing clothes and weapons.
Robberies
- You can rob a store or gang spot alone or bring the other protagonist.
- Stealth approaches exist: take out cameras and alarms, and wear a mask so you are not recognised.
- You can fire a gun to scare people without killing them.
- Long guns cannot be hidden, and pedestrians who see them react differently.
Weapons
Guns are kept in your car or in an Ammu-Nation locker. You can reportedly drop one temporarily without losing it for good.
Stealing cars
Carjacking has more choices. You can order a driver out instead of attacking, and drivers may comply, refuse or pull a weapon. Better cars later in the game need more than a lockpick, with key cloners, alarms and trackers coming into play. You can scan a car for its model and value before stealing it, and sell it to a fence. Damage lowers the sale price. Early on you can keep only a few cars, but you can buy garages later.
Pay & Spray and protected places
Pay & Spray returns with several uses: repairing vehicles, repainting them to shake off police attention, and registering a stolen car as your own. Certain places, such as a friend's nightclub, are protected, so you cannot steal cars parked directly outside.
For the wider picture, see open-world systems explained.
Sources
This article is our own summary and commentary, based on the reporting below. Details can change before launch, so check official Rockstar pages before you buy.
- GTAVice: Famitsu gameplay details
- This Week in Videogames: Nelson interviews
- Fandom GTA Wiki: Grand Theft Auto VI